Black Ops 4 Battle Royale Will Support 60 Players?

By Chris Glover 09 July 2018

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is really shaking up the format this year. With no campaign and the addition of a Battle Royale mode, many fans are eagerly awaiting gameplay and new information to see what the more large-scale multiplayer action will look like. While no Battle Royale footage has been released, we do have a reported glimpse at the player count via a fairly convincing screenshot. The screen seems to suggest Battle Royale in Black Ops 4 is capped at 60 players – significantly less than other Battle Royale titles on the market.

Blackout, Black Ops 4‘s Battle Royale mode, is Call of Duty‘s attempt to capitalize on the current trend dominating the games industry while keeping the franchise fresh and current. Though the mode has been in development since last year, the lack of gameplay or concrete details suggests that Blackout is still very much in development, meaning that even if the leaked screenshot is legit, the player cap may be higher (or even lower) come release day.

The screenshot, seen below, has been causing quite the buzz for two reasons: it’s the first information we’ve had regarding Black Ops 4‘s Battle Royale player count, and the apparent cap of 60 is less than the standard 100+ set by PUBG, Fortnite, and H1Z1. The screenshot also seems to display a max party of 12, which suggests that at least one of Blackout’s game types sees 5 teams of 12 players battle it out, not unlike 20vs20 in Fortnite, or War in PUBG.

A player count of 60 may surprise or even disappoint Call of Duty fans who are familiar with the Battle Royale formula, but it actually makes a lot of sense. The series is best known for its tight and frenetic gunfights, so scaling Blackout down from other games in the genre may allow it to retain some of that experience. The Blackout map will be big, at least 1500 times larger than Nuketown, but that doesn’t necessarily mean big open spaces with large amounts of players.

It’s worth mentioning again that the image is an unconfirmed leak, meaning there is a very real possibility that it’s simply a convincing fake. Assuming it is legit, however, and that the player count isn’t changed before release day, it could prove an interesting choice that sets Blackout apart from other Battle Royale shooters.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will launch on October 12 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.